attendance at a pentagon announcement of a new virginia class fast-attack navy submarine that'll be called the uss delaware. it's expected to be launch inside 2018. speaking at this 20-minute briefing were second lady jill biden, navy secretary ray mabus and delaware senator tom carper. >> thank you all for coming today to the navy ship naming announcement. today's briefing will consist of statements only, there will be no questions and answers following the statement. along with secretary of the navy ray mabus, today we are honored to be joined by second lady, dr. jill biden, and her special guest, her husband, vice president biden. [laughter] senator tom carper and lieutenant governor matt denn. thank you all for being here today, and if you're all ready, i will turn it over to secretary ray mabus, our 75th secretary of the navy. >> well, thank you all for being here. i particularly want to thank dr. biden for being here, senior senator from delaware, tom carper, and the lieutenant governor of delaware, matt denn. and, dr. biden, i understand you have brought your spouse with you.

and it creates a host of issues for the pentagon and fluctuations in global energy prices can have dramatic, dramatic effects on defense spending. for every $10 increase in a barrel of oil it costs the american military annually an extra $1.3 billion. recognizing the potential instability that d.o.d.'s current energy needs can cause, military experts from across the various branches of the armed services have begun looking at ways to cut energy use and find energy alternative. now, i continued to hear all of this discussion about how this is somehow a green agenda and it's a suber havesive plot and it's being forced on a resistant president. and i just want to take a minute or two, mr. president, and say i don't think anything could be further from the truth and just wanted to describe for a moment why i feel that way. first, those who oppose defense energy initiatives often argue in today's fiscal environment, the country can't afford to waste money on energy programs when it's necessary to provide for our nation's security. i don't believe, mr. president, it is an either/or propo

the sources of american power our, that you say the pentagon or the size of the federal debt. like, if you're the biggest debtor into a big issue certain power. are you optimistic that these can be really reversed, like 30 seconds because i'm very optimistic about america's future. i think we have to approach that future with confidence. we have to get our house right at home, but we have to be prepared to engage with confidence abroad. we still are that shining light on the hill that people look to. they are disappointed when we don't deliver. we are disappointed when we don't deliver. i think we can, both at home and abroad, find a way to move forward. it's not going to be simple. our government takes longer to get things done than the real economy would like. we've got to intercept the real and the political economy, but at the end of day am optimistic that we can make progress. >> thank you. ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much. [applause] spent i'm like doctor doom. i come on stage when it's time to go. the eternal foot man holding your code. >> tonight in primetime, we get

in the world, we cannot find savings in the pentagon i think is not a fair assessment. at simpson-bowles said and others, there are savings to be had there that would not compromise our national security. i want to also add simpson-bowles approach establish firewalls in the outer years to delay the temptation to go back into the nondefense accounts when too much political pressure keeps you out of defense spending. so i would hope that in a long-term agreement would include that. on the nondefense side, i still think there's a savings to be found. i give you a couple illustrations of those that i think might be of some value to us. first, hats off to debbie stabenow and pat roberts putting together a far build that safest $23 billion over the next 10 years. that's something that hits my state directly, but i think they did it thoughtful, bipartisan job of saving money toward deficit reduction. there are other areas where savings can be found as well. and i think that we need to look at those honestly. let me kill you, i think the infrastructure is one area where we we should consi

planning for relocation. i am confident that the pentagon and the larger federal government can more efficiently manage its spectrum holdings and make available additional spectrum to create jobs. i hope we can work this out and have it included as part of the defense authorization bill. i certainly believe it's an amendment that's important with regard to the issue that i mentioned and that is the reallocation, relocation of spectrum in this country to allow for multiple uses, obviously important private and commercial uses out there and enormous demand, that demand is is adding significantly to our economy and creating jobs for literally thousands and millions of americans. madam president, with that i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the presiding officer: the senator from michigan. mr. levin: i ask further proceedings on the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. levin: i ask unanimous consent we proceed to the gillibrand amendment and that